Restoring Your Business from Fire Damage

5/23/2023 (Permalink)

With our expertise, tools, and workforce, we ensure a swift and efficient restoration process

The Devastating Impact of Fire Damage on Businesses

As a business owner, you understand the challenges of sustaining your business and overcoming losses. However, when fire strikes, it poses a unique threat that not only results in immediate loss but also destroys the very infrastructure needed for recovery. Whether it's a utility room fire or an electrical fire outbreak, the impact on commercial properties can be chilling.

The Role of Fire Sprinkler Systems in Fire Suppression

To combat the risk of fire, many buildings implement preventive measures, such as fire sprinkler systems. These systems play a vital role in fire suppression. Equipped with sensors, they detect changes in room temperature. When the temperature reaches a critical level, the system activates, sounding an alarm, opening valves, and releasing water jets to suppress the fire. Fire sprinkler systems serve as the first line of defense until firefighters arrive.

Fire Suppression and Professional Restoration

While fire sprinkler systems provide initial fire suppression, swift intervention from firefighters is crucial to prevent further damage. Firefighters, skilled in fire suppression techniques, arrive promptly with fire trucks and fire hoses to combat the inferno. Their priority is extinguishing the fire as quickly as possible, often resorting to breaking doors and windows if necessary.

Firefighters employ fire hoses capable of injecting high-pressure water onto the fire, aiming to contain its spread. Depending on the severity, firefighting efforts can last minutes or even hours. Swift action is crucial as fires, especially utility room fires or electrical fires, can rapidly engulf a building.

Professional Commercial Fire Damage Restoration

Once the fire is extinguished, the aftermath reveals the extent of the damage, including fire damage, soot damage, water damage, and visible smoke damage. The chaotic scene is best handled by professionals skilled in commercial fire damage restoration.

Hiring experts in fire restoration is a crucial step towards restoring your business. These professionals assess the extent of the damage, salvage any recoverable items, and dispose of irreparable ones responsibly. They prioritize the cleaning of soot, water, and smoke damage to restore the interior of your business.

Overcoming Fire Damage with Professional Help

Experiencing fire damage in your business can be devastating, but you don't have to face it alone. SERVPRO is here to provide professional fire restoration services. Our dedicated team will turn the chaos into a familiar and welcoming space for your business. We take inventory of damaged and salvageable items, clean away soot, water, and smoke damage, and employ specialized techniques to restore your property.

With our expertise, tools, and workforce, we ensure a swift and efficient restoration process. By choosing professional fire restoration services, you can emerge triumphant over the fire damage, giving your business the chance to rebuild and thrive once again. When it comes to restoring your business from fire damage, SERVPRO is Here to Help® you every step of the way.

Importance of Hiring Professional Commercial Fire Restoration Services

9/25/2022 (Permalink)

A business loss is a reality that all owners are familiar with and make efforts to remain afloat. However, fire damage is a different thing altogether for business because it leads to loss, but it destroys the infrastructure for recovering that loss. Utility room fire or electrical fire outbreaks have a chilling effect on a commercial property.

In an effort against fire loss, most buildings have measures to protect the property from utility room fire or electrical fire loss. A fire sprinkler system is one of the strategies that play an essential role in fire suppression.

This system has sensors that detect a change in room temperature. If the temperature reaches a critical level, the alarm turns on, the valves open, and water jets are sprinkled in the rooms. The fire sprinkler system is the first line of defense against fire before the arrival of backup from firefighters.

Fire Suppression Exercise

The fire sprinkler system alone may not curb utility room fire or electrical fire outbreak from spreading. If no response comes quickly to help the fire sprinkler system, the fire can easily consume the entire building. Firefighters must arrive on time with their fire truck and fire hose to undertake intensive fire suppression. They are professionals in fire suppression, and they spare no effort to make sure that the inferno is put out as quickly as possible. This means that the firefighters can break into doors and windows without asking for permission and are not liable for any damage they cause while fighting the fire.

The fire truck is sometimes brought closer to the building; cranes are ejected to hoist the firefighter and fire hose inappropriate height. The fire hose is capable of injecting high-pressure water from the fire truck onto the fire. Firefighters have to ensure that the fire does not spread further and could take a few minutes while some could go for hours. Utility room fire or electrical fire could spread through the building very fast and must be stopped immediately.

Fire Damage and Firefighting Mess

After the fire, the reality of what transpired inside becomes clear to the owner and the need for fire restoration. Apart from the fire damage, there is soot damage, water damage, and visible smoke damage. Also, the fire hose pressure mixes and turns everything upside down.

The charred mess of fire damage is visible, and sometimes hard to recognize what it was. The flood from the fire truck is all over the place, making some documents and carpets wet. This devastating scene can only be rectified by professionals who are familiar with commercial fire damage restoration.

Professional Commercial Fire Damage Restoration

Hiring professionals for fire restoration is half the job done because you can rest assured that their services would turn the mess around and create a familiar place for your business. Professional commercial fire damage services usually take a record of the items destroyed and the remaining ones. Those that can be repaired or cleaned are sorted while the rest is appropriately disposed of. They also find out where data backups could be salvaged, such as the computer hard drives, among others.

The soot damage, water damage, and smoke damage are some of the things that must be cleaned fast to restore the face of the interior. Soot damage is cleaned using a dry brush to remove the ash as the painting is done. Water is drained from the rooms and floor cleared, and drying prevents mold from growing. The smoke damage is deodorized from the remaining upholstery and other areas that could have absorbed the odor.

After completing the soot damage, smoke damage, and water cleanup, the damaged items are replaced, and those under repair are brought back. Most of the fire restoration services have adequate tools and workforce to expedite the restoration effort. Commercial fire damage can be a devastating experience, but your business will emerge triumphant over the fire damage if you use professional fire restoration services.

Do You Have an Emergency Kit for Severe Weather?

4/4/2022 (Permalink)

Severe weather is unpredictable and safety is important, no matter the season! Be prepared, following these readiness tips to guide you, no matter what type of severe weather you may encounter.

Have a Weather Radio

Weather radios are the most reliable way to receive notifications of severe weather in your area in an emergency. Although cell phones, weather apps, social media, and wireless emergency alerts (WEA’s) are what the majority of us depend on for information, they can be interrupted during severe weather. Be sure to properly program your weather radio so you only receive the alerts you want for your county.

Keep an Emergency Supply Kit

An emergency kit can be a lifesaver. Most emergency management agencies recommend supplies for up to three days. The following is a list you can use as a guideline for mitigating disaster effects:

Personal Items:

• Water – 1 gallon per person per day
• Non-perishable food
• A simple, manual can opener
• Battery or crank operated radio—preferably a weather radio
• Battery or crank operated flashlight
• Extra batteries and matches or lighter in a waterproof case
• First Aid kit with whistle to signal help
• Clothing, blankets, hygiene items & dust masks
• Important documents. (Copy of insurance policy, bank account info, identification, etc.)
• Cash

Repair Items:

• Plastic sheeting, garbage bags, and duct tape for leaks
• Wrench or other tools to shut off utilities
• Fire extinguisher

Make a family plan

Make sure all members in the household are aware of where they are to go in the event of severe weather. If for some reason the family is separated in the event of a severe storm, have a meeting place established to aid in finding each other amidst the devastation.

Highly Trained with Resources to Handle Storms

SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East specializes in severe weather restoration. Our crews are highly trained and we use specialized equipment to restore your property to its pre-storm condition. We can also scale our resources to handle a larger storm or flooding disaster. 

Locally Owned & Operated = Faster Response

Since we are locally owned and operated, we can respond quicker with the right resources. This is extremely important because a fast response lessens the damage, limits further damage, and reduces the restoration cost. Call SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East today! We are here to help.

Why Orlando Fabrication Plant Calls SERVPRO to Extract Water

3/13/2022 (Permalink)

we are proud to help businesses in this community with commercial water removal methods continue serving the public.

Flood water and storm damage events at commercial properties often involve numerous issues that require a knowledgeable and flexible response. Whether we are dealing with a relatively small water cleanup scenario or a large-scale event, SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East quickly assesses each unique situation and isolates the damaged area for cleanup. In many instances, normal operations can continue in a temporary space while we restore your facility and make it, “Like it never even happened.”

Unique Challenges of Restoring Commercial Property

Our professionals at SERVPRO are trained to be mindful of legal and environmental concerns and strive to fully restore the damaged area while working within your budgetary constraints. We understand that every hour spent cleaning up is an hour of lost revenue and productivity. 

Why Orlando Fabrication Plant Calls SERVPRO to Extract Water

Once a factory or other assembly plant sustains water loss, drying the area to protect employee health and safety, machinery, and productivity is a priority. Drains are a simple solution to water removal or rerouting, but they can only do so much when massive amounts of water are present in multiple areas. For instance, overhead water sources can ruin machines and other equipment by forming pools of water in the depressions of equipment.

Water Extraction

Removing the water from where it would otherwise remain trapped prevents corrosion of metal and keeps microbial infestations from developing. When your equipment retains water, we suction it out with specialty tools like water and other material extractors, helping ensure that employees can continue their jobs with little interruption from us. Then, if the machinery's maintenance instructions call for it, we will even wipe machines with oil to prevent rust and protect equipment from possible problems. 

SERVPRO Equipment Enhances Air Quality

Air movers help us keep moisture from condensing on surfaces and direct water vapor toward desiccation machines. These machines draw moisture from the air and release dry, filtered air back into the area we are treating. This cycle cleans and dries the air.

Using our various machines and tools, we protect your equipment and building from harm. At SERVPRO, we are proud to help businesses in this community with commercial water removal methods continue serving the public. We want to ensure businesses stay afloat, operating, and contributing to the local economy; part of the way we do that is by getting involved to mitigate a storm or water disaster as soon as we can. Call us today to schedule a free estimate, (407) 542-0000. We are also available 24 hours for emergency service.

The Importance of Fast Water Cleanup

2/13/2022 (Permalink)

For fast water cleanup at your commercial business, call a professional in the restoration industry like SERVPRO Oviedo / Winter Springs East

How Fast Should Water Damage be Cleaned Up?

You depend on your business to keep money flowing in, and you rely on the building where location keeps business going. However, when a pipe or supply line springs a leak, it throws a kink in your week. The time it takes for you to arrange pipe burst cleanup can make the difference between a simple and fast water cleanup or extensive and expensive water damage.

The First Few Minutes

Water damage begins with a variety of events, including:

• Pipe break
• Supply line leak
• Toilet overflow
• Adverse weather
• Foundation crack

If all you need is pipe burst cleanup or supply line repair, the first few minutes of water cleanup are crucial. If possible, turn off the source of water as quickly as possible.

The First Few Hours

The longer water sits, the more potential havoc it wreaks. Once exposed to humidity, walls can start to disintegrate, and items made of pressed wood—which often includes cheap flooring—can swell and warp. Water from burst pipes and supply lines can also damage furniture and other supplies in your workplace. 

The First Few Days

Damage that is not mitigated quickly will also become a breeding ground for mold and bacteria growth. Prolonged damage can interrupt your business’s daily operations, possibly harming your bottom line. To limit the extent of water damage to your business, call a professional in the restoration industry like SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East. SERVPRO’s highly trained professionals are equipped with knowledge, experience and all tools capable to restore your business to its preloss condition. We know the disruption that results from supply line leaks, overflowing toilets, adverse weather, foundation cracks, pipe breaks and other catastrophes. By calling our emergency team, available 24 hours per day, you may be able to turn a potentially massive setback into an easy and fast fix. For additional information regarding commercial restoration, call us at (407) 542-0000.

How to Protect My Business from Utility Room Fire or Electrical Fire?

2/6/2022 (Permalink)

A business is affected in a uniquely difficult way when the business suffers fire damage. The damage leads to loss, but it destroys the infrastructure for recovering that loss. For example, when a restaurant’s utility room or electrical system catches fire and burns a facility, the income the owners could have made to pay for that loss is uprooted, having a chilling effect on a commercial property. 

This highlights the importance of buying the right insurance.

In an effort against fire loss, most buildings have measures to protect the property from utility room fire or electrical fire loss. A fire sprinkler system is one of the strategies that play an essential role in fire suppression. 

A Sprinkler System’s Job

This system has sensors that detect a change in room temperature. If the temperature reaches a critical level, the alarm turns on, the valves open, and water jets are sprinkled in the rooms. The fire sprinkler system is the first line of defense against fire before the arrival of backup, like firefighters.

You’ll Need More Than a Sprinkler System

The fire sprinkler system alone may not curb utility room fire or electrical fire outbreak from spreading. If no secondary response team comes quickly to help the sprinkler system, the fire can easily consume the building. Calling 911 should be the first thing you do after exiting the building.

Did You Think About Water Damage?

After the fire, the reality of what transpired inside becomes clear. Apart from the fire damage, there is soot damage, water damage, and visible smoke damage. The fire hose pressure can destroy contents and walls, too.

This devastating scene can only be properly rectified by professionals who are familiar with commercial fire damage restoration.

Professionals Know What To Do

Hiring professionals for fire restoration gives peace of mind. Professional commercial fire damage services usually take a record of the items destroyed and remaining. SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East repairs and cleans content that can be salvaged. They wrap and store those items and appropriately dispose of the rest. They also find out where data backups could be salvaged, such as the computer hard drives. 

The soot damage, water damage, and smoke damage are some of the things that must be cleaned fastest to restore the interior. Soot damage is cleaned using a dry brush. Water is drained and vacuumed from the rooms. This drying prevents mold from growing. The smoke is pulled from upholstery and other areas that could have absorbed odor. After the main cleaning is done and our construction team has rebuilt any remaining damage, items that underwent repair are brought back. 

Your business will emerge triumphant over fire damage if you use professional fire restoration services like those of SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East.

Emergency READY Profile: How to Prepare Your Business for a Disaster

2/6/2022 (Permalink)

Download SERVPRO's ERP app today at https://ready.SERVPRO.com/Home/MobileApp.

Being a property manager or landlord isn't a 9 to 5 job. Mishaps don't care if you're on vacation or out of the office. Problems can arise 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Be prepared before disaster strikes. Deal with unforeseen circumstances by implementing our Emergency READY Profile (ERP), as many as 50% of businesses have to shut down after a disaster.

Being Prepared is FREE

Your company's ERP profile is FREE and can help you in the event of a disaster. We simply take down a few basic pieces of contact information and we are at your door in case of an emergency.

What Does an Emergency Ready Profile Look Like?

• A no cost assessment of your facility.
  This means there is no need to allocate funds, giving you a great value at no cost.
   
• A concise Profile Document that contains only the critical information needed in the event of an emergency.
  It will only take a little time to complete and will not take you away from current projects. But it will save a lot of time if ever needed.
   
• A guide to help you get back into your building following a disaster.
  This can help minimize the amount of time your business is inactive by having an immediate plan of action.
   
• Establishes your local SERVPRO Franchise Professional as your disaster mitigation and restoration provider.
  You have a provider that is recognized as an industry leader and close by.
   
• Identification of the line of command for authorizing work to begin.
  This saves time so we can begin the work of mitigating the damage which can save you time and money.
   
• Provides facility details such as shut-off valve locations, priority areas and priority contact information.
  Having a quick reference of what to do, how to do it and who to call provides solutions in advance of an emergency so that during the emergency you are "Ready for whatever happens."

Businesses that survive a disaster had a preparedness plan in place. Pre-planning can serve as an insurance policy aimed at peace of mind. ERP helps your business have a plan in place and helps keep you and your staff members informed on handling fire and water damage.

For additional information regarding SERVPRO's Emergency READY Profile (ERP), visit http://ready.SERVPRO.com or call SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East at (407) 542-0000.

Is Your Business Prepared for a Fire?

1/31/2022 (Permalink)

A fire is every Oviedo, Fl business owner’s worst nightmare. Your insurance policy will ensure you can rebuild in the event of a fire. But what about protecting your most important asset: your own life and the lives of your employees? To avoid the unspeakable tragedy of losing those you employ in a fire, it’s good to have a fire escape plan. 

Tips for Your Business’ Emergency Fire Plan

1. Ensure your business has the proper number of smoke alarms. In newer homes, the National Fire Alarm Code (NFPA 72) requires hard-wired, interconnected smoke alarms with battery backup on every building level, outside each work area, and inside each office. If your building is older and smoke alarms are not already in place, install them on every level and outside each work area at a minimum. Test your alarms once a month and replace the batteries at least once a year.
   
   
2. Teach employees what smoke alarms sound like and how to respond if they hear one. If your smoke alarm has a test feature, set aside a training in which you teach your employees the fire escape plan and include a smoke alarm test. If it does not have a test feature, there are videos online which provide demonstrations of what smoke alarms sound like.
   
   
3. Ensure everyone in the building knows of two ways to escape from every room. It’s also essential to establish a meeting spot outside the building. Depending on the size of the building, this may require a customized escape diagram.
   
   
4. Establish an emergency communications plan. As part of your building’s fire escape plan, make sure everyone knows who to contact in the event of an emergency and how.
   
   
5. Practice escaping from your building at least twice a year. This may seem excessive, but fire drills can save lives in the event of a real fire. 

Call SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East for additional information regarding commercial fire damage call (407) 542-0000. 

Does Your Oviedo Business Need Board-Up Services?

1/31/2022 (Permalink)

If your business was affected by storm or fire damage that results in an opening in your building, you might need emergency board-up services. Any opening in the structure needs to be boarded appropriately to protect the building from the weather and illegal entry. Your insurance policy also requires you to be proactive in protecting your home or business after any damage has occurred. Otherwise, the insurance company could account for any further/secondary damage to the structure as negligence.

Not every situation requires the most extensive board-up that the U.S Fire Administration has in their board-up procedure manual, such as after a fire where the entire home is destroyed and is considered a complete loss. While each emergency board up is different, SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East is here to help.  

Let's take a look at how to properly board up a structure after the damage has caused an opening in the building.

How Much Storm Protection Does Your Business Need?

1. Openings in the basement, first floor doors, windows, and any entry point accessible from a porch, fire escape, or other potential climbing points require additional security measures. Openings should be barricaded with plywood, 2x4s, bolts, and nails.
2. Openings at least 10′ from ground level, which is not accessible from a porch, fire escape, roof, or other climbing points, can be secured with nails in each brace and every 12″ around the perimeter. The plywood should be fitted for these openings so that it rests snugly against the exterior frame, butting up to the siding on wood frame buildings and up to the brickwork on brick buildings. It may be necessary to remove the staff bead so that this fit can be flush and tight.

How to Board-Up a Commercial Building

1. Cut plywood to fit over the window and door openings, flush with the outside of the molding.
   Note: For buildings with a metal door and window frames, the alternative is to cut the plywood and 2x4s to fit the door frame inside buffed up against the band molding.
2. Cut the 2x4s to fit the horizontal dimension of the plywood. You will need two 2×4 exterior and two interior braces for each window and three sets for each door.
   Note: For buildings with metal doors and window frames, the 2x4s for the outside will be cut to the plywood dimensions, fitting inside the door frame, against the band molding. The 2x4s will be cut to the outside dimension of the door or window frame for the inside.
3. Next, pre-drill 3/8th inch holes in the plywood and the braces.
4. The holes will be placed approximately 1/3 of the brace's length from each outside edge of the door and window jam.
5. The two window braces will be placed 1/3 of the distance from the top and the bottom of the window.
6. The three-door braces will be placed; one in the center of the doorway and one half the center's distance to the top and the bottom of the doorway.
7. Place the plywood over the exterior opening and nail it to the frame.
   Note: For metal frames, place the plywood and braces inside the frame against the band molding.
8. Place the 2×4 braces over the interior and exterior of the door or window.
9. Place the large washer over the carriage bolt and place the bolt through the holes.
10. Place the washer and nut inside and tighten securely. Torque the nut so that it slightly compresses the interior 2×4.

Did you know SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East provides emergency board-up services? Let us mark a big task off of your to-do list when preparing for a storm. We understand the anxiety when it comes to managing a business during storm watches and warnings. We are here to help. Call us anytime at (407) 542-0000.

How can SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East Help with Hazardous Waste?

12/15/2021 (Permalink)

SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East Helps with Hazardous Waste

Although SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East is well-known for fire and water restoration, you may not know that we offer hazardous waste disposal. Our highly-trained professionals can help you or your business with biohazard, vandalism, and crime scene cleanup. We specialize in removing and cleaning common hazardous wastes such as bloodborne pathogens, sewage backups, illegal drugs, hoarding situations, crime scene residues, and more. We are trained to safely decontaminate these situations in accordance with OSHA and CDC regulations. Our sanitizing agents, antimicrobial treatments, thermal foggers, and deodorization agents help us make your property “Like it never even happened.” 

When you experience a biohazard concern or have hazardous waste on your property, leave the responsibility of hard cleanup to us. Bloodborne pathogens, bodily fluids, and other contaminated waste can put you at risk. Follow these steps after contamination. 

• Call SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East immediately at (407) 542-0000 for biohazard cleanup. 
• Stay out of infected areas. 
• Call first responders if the situation is life-threatening. 
• Treat all areas and/or bodily fluids as if they are contaminated. 
• Turn off the HVAC system if there is sewage damage. 

Don’t wait to call us when you have a biohazard emergency. These situations can leave home and business owners feeling vulnerable, violated, and unsafe. SERVPRO of Oviedo / Winter Springs East is here for you 24/7, 7 days a week at (407) 542-0000.

4 Things You Should Throw Out After a Fire

4/20/2021 (Permalink)

Smoke damage is pervasive, and it can ruin many items in your office, warehouse or store during a fire. If your business in Chuluota, FL, recently had a fire and you're in the midst of the smoke cleaning process, there are many things you can probably save but several you should throw out right away.

Perishable and Non-Perishable Food Items

Any food that came into contact with smoke, soot, flames, heat, or firefighting chemicals should get thrown out. This especially applies to food with open packaging, as smoke and soot can easily contaminate the food inside.

Uniforms and Textiles

It is possible to disinfect textiles and clothing after a fire but not necessarily recommended by most smoke damage cleaning professionals. Soot and smoke that get into fabrics contain chemicals that can hurt the skin upon contact. In addition, those who wear uniforms or other textiles that have been exposed to fire may inhale these chemicals even after the cloth has been subjected to extensive cleaning.

Upholstered Furniture Pieces

If your office or waiting room has upholstered furniture pieces exposed to the fire or soot damage, these items may be structurally unsafe and should get replaced following the fire. The only exception is hardwood furniture, which business owners can often salvage with an oil soap designed for furniture.

Toiletries, Cosmetics, and Medicines

High heat, smoke and the water used by firefighters can have an impact on toiletries, cosmetics, and medicines. Because of the high temperatures likely to be found in a commercial fire, medications may lose their effectiveness and the composition of cosmetics may be compromised. Even if there is no visible damage, it may be best to get rid of them.
It may be difficult financially and logistically for your business to throw away so much inventory and other office items after a fire. At the same time, getting rid of all items with smoke damage will contribute to a faster cleanup process and return to normal business operations.

It's your Responsibility to Prepare Your Business for a Disaster

3/16/2021 (Permalink)

The world is changing at an unprecedented pace. For a variety of reasons, officially declared major disasters have almost doubled since the 1990s. This impacts everyone, everywhere, and Oviedo, FL, is no exception. If you own or manage a business, there’s no excuse not to have a plan for disaster preparedness.

Disasters Come in Many Shapes and Sizes

There are so many potential disasters that no one can be fully prepared for everything. However, it’s entirely worthwhile to develop business preparedness for the most common types of catastrophes. The three main areas of disaster to plan for are

• Technological Disaster
• Manmade Disaster
• Natural Disaster

Technology is Your Friend – Until it Isn’t 

The information technology that’s now essential for virtually all businesses has a nasty tendency to break down. If you haven’t developed disaster preparedness for losing some or all of your files and hardware, you’re likely to pay a terrible cost eventually. Back up everything constantly to the cloud and use a tape backup once a day or more.

Manmade Disasters Are Often the Bitterest 

When someone’s carelessness or bad intent causes the disaster, it can feel very personal. A virus attack, ransomware, or vandalism all are intrusions into your life, and a single internet crime aimed at a company can bankrupt it unless you’ve consistently backed up everything possible. Vandalism is harder to stop but typically easier to fix with insurance.

Natural Disasters Can Be Survivable 

If you’ve planned for all the major natural disasters, you’re likely to face and kept all key employees informed and prepared. You have an excellent chance of your business bouncing back. Having effective disaster preparedness isn’t a matter of luck; it’s the result of doing some basic research and practicing how you and your employees will respond.

FEMA has excellent resources for recovering after a disaster. Their business disaster planning handbook is accessible to everyone and is a relatively quick read. Once you’ve had storm damage, a restoration company can then take over the process. They’ll help you with insurance forms and rapidly develop a plan to get your company back to full functionality.

Winter Storm Flooding: Tips to Protect Your Business

2/16/2021 (Permalink)

When you think of how flooding might impact your Oviedo, FL business, weather events like torrential rain storms or hurricanes might come to mind. However, flooding can occur in almost any kind of weather, including during the winter months, and is usually the result of a burst pipe exposed to freezing temperatures. You can protect your business from winter floods by preparing for cold weather and having a plan if flooding occurs. 

Plan for Winter Weather 

If cold weather arrives around the same time every year in your area, you can plan accordingly to protect your building from winter flooding. Be aware of how your building’s water supply operates and which piping sections might be the most vulnerable. Locate valves and fixtures if you need to turn off the water in case of a flooding event. 

Insulate Your Building’s Pipes 

A frozen pipe can burst without warning and cause severe flooding inside your business. Because water can damage electrical systems and ruin stored inventory in moments, preventing frozen pipes is a smart way to protect your investments. Insulate your outdoor pipes before freezing temperatures arrive and improve or add insulation around indoor pipes as well, especially in your building’s basement. 

Work With a Flood Mitigation Company

When a burst pipe causes flooding, taking care of the problem quickly to prevent the water from spreading can avoid severe damage to your business. Hiring a professional cleaning and restoration company to provide you with mitigation services in case of a flooding emergency may help stem the worst of the water damage before it can reach other areas of your building. These flood experts can also safely remove standing water in affected areas. 

When cold weather arrives in Oviedo, FL, it can cause a frozen or burst pipe that could quickly flood your business. Preparing for frigid temperatures and having an emergency flood plan in place could help protect your building and everyone who enters it. 

Importance of Hiring Professional Commercial Fire Restoration Services

2/10/2021 (Permalink)

A business loss is a reality that all owners are familiar with and make efforts to remain afloat. However, fire damage is a different thing altogether for business because it leads to loss, but it destroys the infrastructure for recovering that loss. Utility room fire or electrical fire outbreaks have a chilling effect on a commercial property.

In an effort against fire loss, most buildings have measures to protect the property from utility room fire or electrical fire loss. A fire sprinkler system is one of the strategies that play an essential role in fire suppression.

This system has sensors that detect a change in room temperature. If the temperature reaches a critical level, the alarm turns on, the valves open, and water jets are sprinkled in the rooms. The fire sprinkler system is the first line of defense against fire before the arrival of backup from firefighters.

Fire Suppression Exercise

The fire sprinkler system alone may not curb utility room fire or electrical fire outbreak from spreading. If no response comes quickly to help the fire sprinkler system, the fire can easily consume the entire building. Firefighters must arrive on time with their fire truck and fire hose to undertake intensive fire suppression. They are professionals in fire suppression, and they spare no effort to make sure that the inferno is put out as quickly as possible. This means that the firefighters can break into doors and windows without asking for permission and are not liable for any damage they cause while fighting the fire.

The fire truck is sometimes brought closer to the building; cranes are ejected to hoist the firefighter and fire hose inappropriate height. The fire hose is capable of injecting high-pressure water from the fire truck onto the fire. Firefighters have to ensure that the fire does not spread further and could take a few minutes while some could go for hours. Utility room fire or electrical fire could spread through the building very fast and must be stopped immediately.

Fire Damage and Firefighting Mess

After the fire, the reality of what transpired inside becomes clear to the owner and the need for fire restoration. Apart from the fire damage, there is soot damage, water damage, and visible smoke damage. Also, the fire hose pressure mixes and turns everything upside down.

The charred mess of fire damage is visible, and sometimes hard to recognize what it was. The flood from the fire truck is all over the place, making some documents and carpets wet. This devastating scene can only be rectified by professionals who are familiar with commercial fire damage restoration.

Professional Commercial Fire Damage Restoration

Hiring professionals for fire restoration is half the job done because you can rest assured that their services would turn the mess around and create a familiar place for your business. Professional commercial fire damage services usually take a record of the items destroyed and the remaining ones. Those that can be repaired or cleaned are sorted while the rest is appropriately disposed of. They also find out where data backups could be salvaged, such as the computer hard drives, among others.

The soot damage, water damage, and smoke damage are some of the things that must be cleaned fast to restore the face of the interior. Soot damage is cleaned using a dry brush to remove the ash as the painting is done. Water is drained from the rooms and floor cleared, and drying prevents mold from growing. The smoke damage is deodorized from the remaining upholstery and other areas that could have absorbed the odor.

After completing the soot damage, smoke damage, and water cleanup, the damaged items are replaced, and those under repair are brought back. Most of the fire restoration services have adequate tools and workforce to expedite the restoration effort. Commercial fire damage can be a devastating experience, but your business will emerge triumphant over the fire damage if you use professional fire restoration services.